Mussaenda plant named &#39;Marmalade&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Mussaenda  plant particularly distinguished by its prominent, bright yellow flowers with a yellow-orange eye which ages from orange to brown, trapezoidal sepals which range in color from bright yellow to orange to pink and red-purple, and sepals which are pendulous and are occasionally twisted. Additionally, this mew  Mussaenda  plant can withstand brief periods of freezing temperatures without damage.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Mussaenda hybrid

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Marmalade’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Mussaenda, botanically known as Mussaenda hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Marmalade’. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in December 1995 in Alipore, India. The female parent was the hot-pink-flowered Mussaenda philippica plant ‘Doña Luz’ (unpatented), while the male parent was a pale-yellow-flowered individual plant of Mussaenda luteola (unpatented). The seeds produced by the hybridization were sown in 1996 in Alipore, India and a single plant selection was chosen for further evaluation and for asexual propagation in 1998/1999 in Alipore, India.

The new cultivar was created in 1995 in Alipore, India and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissue culture in Homestead, Fla. over a two-year period. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Homestead, Fla.

-   -   1. Flowers are prominent, bright yellow with a yellow-orange eye         which ages from orange to brown;     -   2. Trapezoidal sepals range in color from bright yellow to         orange to pink and red-purple;     -   3. Sepals are pendulous and are occasionally twisted; and     -   4. Can withstand brief periods of freezing temperatures without         damage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Mussaenda plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show blooms, buds, and foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows a cluster of flowers and leaves on a 2-year-old plant.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of a single flower.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Marmalade’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Homestead, Fla. The plant history was taken on six-month-old plants grown in 10-gallon containers. Color readings were taken in under natural light. Color references are primarily to the R.H.S Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S) (2001 edition).

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Rubiaceae.         -   Botanical name.—Mussaenda hybrid. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Mussaenda philippica ‘Dona Luz’ (unpatented).         -   Male parent.—An individual unnamed plant of Mussaenda             luteola (unpatented). -   Growth:     -   -   Type.—Tropical shrub; tender perennial.         -   Form.—Upright with many branches, soft wood, terminating in             velvet-like soft foliage.         -   Habit.—Compact, multi-branched, non-suckering from base,             hard wood trunk, new growth soft and flexuous, hardening off             after some time.         -   Height.—About 2.44 m at two-years-old.         -   Diameter (spread).—2 m.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots (days or weeks).—Air             layers about 2 months; tip cuttings about 3 weeks.         -   Propagation.—Air layering and tip cuttings.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, freely branching, and white. -   Branches:     -   -   New growth.—Length: 27 cm to 30 cm Diameter: 0.3 cm at             midpoint Color: RHS 144A Texture: Pubescent; hairs about             0.15 cm long.         -   Six-months-old.—Length: 9 cm from soil line to first node             Diameter: 0.9 cm at midpoint between soil line and first             node Internode length: 3.0 cm to 4.0 cm Color: RHS 199B             Texture: Woody, smooth. -   Leaves:     -   -   Immature.—Length: 2.6 cm to 3.7 cm Width: 1.0 cm to 1.6 cm             Shape of leaf: Lanceolate Apex: Cuspidate Base: Shortly             attenuate Margin: Entire Texture: Pubescent on both surfaces             Pubescence color: RHS 60A on mid-rib on lower surface             otherwise RHS N155A Leaf Color: Upper surface: RHS 137A             Lower surface: RHS 146B.         -   Mature.—Length: 17.0 cm to 19.7 cm Width: 7.6 cm to 8.9 cm             Shape of leaf: Lanceolate Apex: Cuspidate Base: Attenuate             Margin: Entire Texture: Pubescent Pubescence distribution:             Both surfaces of the leaf are covered in very small hairs             which make the leaf feel very soft; the lower surface has             more hairs on the mid-rib and veins than on the rest of the             leaf Pubescence length: 0.1 cm on mid-rib and veins of lower             surface; 0.05 cm on rest of leaf Pubescence color: RHS N155A             Leaf Color: Upper surface: RHS 137A to RHS 137C Lower             surface: RHS138B Venation: Pinnate Venation color: Upper             surface: RHS 137A to RHS 137C Lower surface: RHS 145C.         -   Petiole.—Length: 1.0 cm Diameter: 0.2 cm to 0.3 cm Color:             RHS 137C to RHS 138B Texture: Pubescent. -   Flowers:     -   -   Type.—Corymb.         -   Blooming habit.—In bloom 7 months of the year, from late             Spring until late Fall.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—Flowers last             about 4 days while sepals last about 10 weeks.         -   Fragrance.—Absent.         -   Time of flowering (time of year or months).—Flowers March to             November.         -   Length of flowering period.—7 to 8 months.         -   Total length, from pedicel attachment to top of opened             petals of a fully opened flower.—2.7 cm to 3.5 cm.         -   Width, from sepal tip to sepal tip of fully opened             flower.—8.0 cm to 8.5 cm. -   Flower buds (as sepals are starting to open):     -   -   Shape.—Orbicular.         -   Length.—0.8 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.8 cm as measured across the top where the sepals             are opening.         -   Color.—RHS 138B.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS 60A on bottom half of bud and on the             pedicel where it joins the bud; RHS N155A on upper half of             bud. -   Flower buds (sepals partially open):     -   -   Shape.—Trullate with slight ribbing lengthwise.         -   Length.—0.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.3 cm at widest point.         -   Depth from pedicel attachment to tip of bud.—1.1 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 144B.         -   Texture.—Densely pubescent.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS N155A with RHS 60A at the tip.         -   Sepals.—Shape: Cordate Apex: Apiculate Base: Fused Margin:             Entire Length from bud attachment to tip of sepal: 0.7 cm             Width: 0.5 cm Width from sepal tip to sepal tip: 1.5 cm             Color: Upper surface: RHS 144B with RHS N30B at the tip             Lower surface: RHS 144B Texture: Pubescent. -   Flower buds (sepals fully open):     -   -   Shape.—Orbicular with prominent ribs.         -   Length.—1.3 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.4 cm at widest point.         -   Color.—RHS 138C.         -   Texture.—Densely pubescent.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS N155A from pedicel attachment to 0.8             cm; RHS 63B remaining 0.5 cm. -   Flowers (fully opened, excluding sepals):     -   -   Shape.—Umbrella-shaped consisting of 5 petals with the bases             fused to form a long tube; each petal has a prominent ridge             on the upper surface extending from near the center of the             flower to the tip of each petal running the length of the             petal.         -   Size.—Diameter, from petal tip to petal tip: 2.1 cm Depth,             from top of petals to top of sepals: 2.0 cm.         -   Petals.—Shape: Cordate Length, from center of flower to             petal tip: 1.0 cm Width, at widest point: 0.7 cm Apex:             Apiculate Base: Fused Margin: Entire Color: Upper surface:             RHS17A; RHS N30B where the petals fuse together Lower             surface: RHS N 155B with RHS 63B veins and margins Outer             surface of corolla tube: RHS 63B; RHS 145C where the tube             meets the sepals Texture: Pubescent, very short upright             hairs cover both surfaces and make the surface appear to             sparkle; dense longer hairs located at the center of the             corolla forming a central “eye” Pubescence color: RHS 22A at             the throat (eye) of the corolla tube, continuing down into             the tube and surrounding the reproductive organs; dense             pubescence of RHS 44B occurs in a ring just outside the             throat of the corolla tube. -   Sepals:     -   -   Shape.—Trapezoidal.         -   Apex.—Apiculate, point at tip of sepal lengthens as sepals             age, from less than 0.1 cm to 1.0 cm.         -   Base.—Fused to form a long tube.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Immature sepals (when flower is open).—Length, from throat             of tube to tip of sepal: 1.7 cm to 2.5 cm Width: 1.0 cm to             1.3 cm Texture: Upper surface: Pubescent, very short fine             hairs which make the surface appear to sparkle Lower             surface: Pubescent; more hairs along the veins; pubescence             of RHS 60A on the veins Color: Upper surface: Patches and             streaks of RHS 21A, RHS 3A but brighter, RHS 31A to RHS 31B             with RHS 60B at the tip Lower surface: RHS 157A Outer sepal             tube: From pedicel attachment to 1.0 cm RHS 144A with dense             RHS 63A pubescence; from 1 cm above pedicel attachment to             top of tube RHS 145A to RHS 145B with light RHS 63A             pubescence.         -   Mature sepals.—Length, from throat of tube to tip of sepal:             4.0 cm to 4.5 cm Width: 2.8 cm to 3.0 cm Texture: Upper             surface: Pubescent, very short upright hairs which make the             surface appear to sparkle Lower surface: Pubescent; more             hairs along the veins; pubescence RHS 60A Color: Upper             surface: Base color of RHS 3A but brighter with patches and             streaks of RHS 63B, RHS N66B to RHS N66C, RHS 33A to RHS             34A; where the sepal bases fuse together and surrounding the             corolla tube of the inserted flower, there is heavy             pubescence of RHS 46A which extends down into the throat of             the sepal tube Lower surface: RHS 158C at base RHS 134B with             RHS 142B in the middle and RHS 142A at the tip Outer sepal             tube: From pedicel attachment to 1.0 cm RHS 144A with dense             RHS 63A pubescence; from 1 cm above pedicel attachment to             top of tube RHS 145A to RHS 145B with light RHS 63A             pubescence Venation: Type: Pinnate Color: Upper surface:             Indistinct Lower surface: Some veins are RHS 63B and some             veins are RHS 199C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: Varies from 1.5 cm to 7.0 cm Diameter: 0.1             cm to 0.2 cm Texture: Pubescent; hairs RHS N155A Color: RHS             144A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Pistils.—Number: 1 Length: 1.8 cm.         -   Style.—Length: 1.2 cm Diameter: Less than 0.1 cm Color: RHS             N144D.         -   Stigma.—Shape: Bifurcate Length: 0.4 cm Color: RHS N144D.         -   Stamens.—Number: 5 Length: 1.3 cm Diameter: Less than 0.1 cm             Color: Near RHS 199B.         -   Pollen.—None; sterile hybrid. -   Fruit and seed set: ‘Marmalade’ is a sterile hybrid and does not     produce fruit, seed or false seed pods. -   Disease and insect resistance: ‘Marmalade’ appears to be resistant     to many insect pests and can withstand brief periods of freezing     temperatures without damage.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL CULTIVARS

‘Marmalade’ differs from the female parent, ‘Doña Luz’ (unpatented) in that ‘Marmalade’ has sepals which emerge yellow especially when shaded and become orange in full sun and as they age, whereas ‘Doña Luz’ has sepals which emerge hot pink and stay the same color as they age. Additionally, ‘Marmalade’ has a prominent bright yellow-orange “eye” while ‘Doña Luz’ has a smaller, light yellow-orange “eye”. Finally, ‘Marmalade’ has sepals which are trapezoidal, pendulous and often twisting, whereas ‘Doña Luz’ has sepals which are oval, do not twist and are evenly uniform in shape.

‘Marmalade’ differs from the male parent, Mussaenda luteola (unpatented) in that ‘Marmalade’ has sepals which emerge yellow especially when shaded and become orange in full sun and as they age, whereas M. luteola has sepals which emerge pale yellow and stay the same color as they age. Additionally, ‘Marmalade’ has star-shaped flowers with a prominent yellow orange eye, whereas M. luteola has salver-shaped flowers with a small orange eye. Finally, ‘Marmalade’ has sepals which are trapezoidal, pendulous, often twisting and arranged haphazardly around each flower, whereas M. luteola has sepals which are pennant-shaped, numerous and arranged in a neat even cluster around each flower. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Mussaenda plant as shown and described herein. 